AMHERST, Mass. -
The University of Massachusetts field hockey program and head coach Carla Tagliente announced the team's 2014 fall schedule on Thursday afternoon. The Minutewomen are the defending Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament champions after the squad went 19-5 overall and 7-0 in conference games during the 2013 season.

UMass will face four teams from the 2013 NCAA Tournament, including the defending national champions in UConn and final four participant Maryland alongside Boston College and Syracuse. The Minutewomen are slated to battle eight Atlantic 10 teams during league play in addition to 11 non-conference matchups.

Tagliente will challenge UMass immediately as the team travels to Lancaster, Pa., for neutral site games against Maryland on Friday, Aug. 29 and Temple two days later. Last season, the Terrapins went 22-2 overall while the Owls finished 14-6 during their first season competing in the Big East Conference in 2013.

The Minutewomen host Maine in their home opener on Friday, Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. and will play a total of 10 games on Garber Field during the 2014 season.

Following their meeting with Northeastern at home, the Minutewomen begin Atlantic 10 Conference competition on the road at Richmond on Sept. 26 before they make the short trip to VCU for a Sept. 28 contest.

The A-10 season continues with Lock Haven on Oct. 3 and Saint Francis (Pa.) on Oct. 5, with both contests set for Garber Field. After taking to the road to meet Saint Joseph's and Columbia, the Minutewomen return to Amherst for four of their final five regular season games, including an Oct. 17 introduction to Atlantic 10 newcomer Davidson.

UMass also hosts Boston University on Oct. 19, Syracuse on Nov. 1 and Saint Louis on Nov. 2, with the quartet of home games separated by an Oct. 24 trip to La Salle.

The Atlantic 10 Championship, which the Minutewomen won in 2012 and 2013, will be played in Richmond, Va., at the University of Richmond on Nov. 7-8. NCAA Tournament competition begins on Nov. 15. The second round will occur the following day ahead of the NCAA Tournament Final Four (Nov. 21). The 2014 NCAA Championship Game will be played on Nov. 23.